Alfie Lovett discusses the impact that Covid-19 has had on the air pollution across the globe, and why these environmental benefits of the coronavirus may not prove permanent.
Covid-19 has caused global chaos: schools have shut, countries have gone into lockdown and lots of people’s lives are at risk. However, one major positive of this virus is the huge benefits it has had on the environment. From transport to industry, it has definitely shown us a way to avoid climate breakdown.
One major environmental benefit comes from the lack of transport being used. In particular, planes emit a lot of greenhouse gases. The huge amount of energy and combustion involved in flying them is extortionate! However, now that countries have closed borders to try and cease international spread of the virus, planes are out of action, with some air travel companies cancelling up to 80% of their flights. Government advice to ‘stay at home’ has led to a 75% decrease in Public transport use, and a lot less people are using cars, which is causing carbon emissions from transport in the UK to plummet.
Industrial pollution – pollution from factories – has decreased a lot. After a lot of the world went into lockdown, businesses and factories shut, stopping their continuous greenhouse gas emissions. China, for example, had its carbon emissions decreased by 25% during the peak of the virus. However, despite this short-term impact, now that China is coming out of lockdown, the emissions are going back up to their usual quantities. We will have to wait and see whether this short-term impact on emissions carries on, or whether China decides to continue pumping CO2 into the atmosphere.
The effect of the lockdown has had an incredible effect on pollution levels. Pollution in London is at the lowest it has been since air quality records began in 2000. Air pollution is now well within the levels that WHO deems as safe, something that wasn’t managed in the years prior to the virus. Across the world, cities are facing less pollution. However, scientists say that much damage from air pollution has already been done, as air pollution has been linked with lung problems, which have been linked with higher rates of coronavirus deaths. Also, experts are not sure whether governments will take this opportunity to start seriously managing air pollution levels, or whether they will surge as economies start back up after lockdown.